It's an old antique paneuropean idea, called Stoicism. My father in law (2 times wounded as young WW2 soldier, his wife, my mother in law 40 years in wheel-chair from multiple sclerosis...) always quoted Karl Valentin: " ich freue mich wenn es regnet ,denn wenn ich mich nicht freue, regnet es auch" (I'm happy when it rains because if I'm not happy, it rains too)
Cannot second that. Your poor grandmas, what a miserable life they must have? Both my grandma's went through the war with their young children, one was a refugee of war, who had lost everything in the east to the russians, but got her two childs through the enemy lines, had to clean war ruin's bricks to be recycled, in exchange for the right to get one of the new apartments, whilst her husband still was a prisoner of war. He then survived the war by just 10 years, too, when he finally came back. Both never complained about anything. The refugee early widowed grandma even used to laugh about anything i had complaints of and taught me to deal with it. Maybe complaining is a younger generation thing.
Das erinnert mich an Obelix, als er an einem verregneten Tag am Strand steht und anmerkt, dass es "auffrischt". Später schüttet es in Strömen und er merkt an: "Heut frischt es mehr und mehr auf". Immer wenn ich im Regen gehe oder stehe, denk ich dran, und schon ist es nur mehr halb so schlimm.
It's always the perspective. We were in Scotland, wind, light rain, not warm, sweaters and warm jacket. Then we talk to a local in a T-Shirt who tells us, yeah the weather is going to get worse. Right now it's still T-shirt weather.
Meine Freundin sagt in unangenehmen Situationen: „Wer weiß wofür es gut ist.“ Vielleicht brauchst du diese Lebensphase für den Übergang in einen neuen Lebensabschnitt. 👍
As an American I lived in Germany for almost 5 years. Day 1 I knew this was a great country and I loved it! The people are so real and were very welcoming to me. The food/beer and countryside were amazing. I honestly did don't want to come back to America when I did. My wife and I go back as often as we can to see my friends and in my head, I'm home. Trust me on this, the longer you live there the harder it will be to leave. Thanks for posting this and all the best
❤ sooo, from one American to another, I left military service in 1984 and have lived here since. I married a German, got to know Germans, lived ate worked studied and then took nursing school. Now after 2 marriages, 2 divorces and 6 children and 6 grandchildren later... All I can say is, things never, never ever, go according to plan. You take your steps, they look good, and for a while it works, good. There's no "but" here, it's all Okay. You learn, how life here in Germany works. Just ask, if you are'nt sure. Hell, if I went to live in the States after 45 years I'd be totally lost. Absolutely lost. I would be asking thousands of people, how to do what where how. Language proficiency is key. Reading writing speaking. School and Study gave me a good leap forward. But so does living together and or working with Germans. Life, just takes it's time. And as long as you're healthy in body, and mind, put one foot forward. The other will follow. I've learned, Gelassenheit. Calmness composure serenity. You can Not Force TIME. Regulating your lifestyle, integrating also with the cultural calender, times of the year, vacation work freetime...have a hobby or two. Ride bicycle. Every town village city has beautiful bike paths even between cities and towns. Here we have a wide open Horizon. Take weekend city trips. Take in the culture here, its so much you can't see it all...just plan it out and do it. Security is important. A job that you like and pays reasonably. You have health insurance coverage and retirement benifits. Deutsche Rentenversicherung Additionally extra company retirement benifits Betriebsrente. One day, you will be older all of a sudden. And zip you have to adapt to less money. Half to be exact. And youll be to tired to work and play as you did when young or middle age. Youll want to rest up more often. By then youll be as old as me. I was athletic. And that was Great. So just keep moving, don't stop. Go camping. Drive to Spain. Great camping. France. Germany. Switzerland Austria Croatia Greece. Shall I say more!? Buy a camera and take great Pictures. Hike in the Mountains. Paddle down the Yukon on a trip to Alaska. Theres no time to worry. Worry only makes you old. Viel Glück
I will send this video and the comments to my relatives born in Germany and living in US to give them an idea of living in Germany - they will love it as well as I did - big hug from Germany ♥️
It reads a bit like the Pink Floyd song 'Time'. Zipp... "And then one day you find ten years have got behind you". At some point it will no longer be 10 years, but 50 years and you wonder where the time has gone. It really is, I can confirm.
North Germany is for me like a foreign state, I know Italy better than Schleswig-Holstein, where I never was in my life and I often wonder why? I‘m going to change that. I was more abroad in my life than in my own country. Shame on me! I‘ve never eaten Franzbrötchen, I‘ll also change that. Sry but I‘m from the wild south called Bavaria.
@@astara5802 And it is about 1000 Kilometers from the South of Germany to the North. Imagine living a country that is over 5000 kilometers across. I feel as much at home in my wife's hometown of Darmstadt, Hessen, than I do in many parts of America!
Now, another fun but also interesting and well balanced video of someone whose life is changing from one phase to the next one. Self-critically well observed and documented. 😎.
Nalf, ask your German girl friend to show you a Conditerei. This will open your eyes to something much better than a chain store STARBUCKS. At a Conditerei, you can get your coffee fix too, but the Conditerei bakes many different kinds of delicious cakes and pastries. So go in; drool at the selection on offer; make a choice, - mit Schlagsahne or Ohne - sit at one of their tables; order your coffee and then as you eat your Torte, slowly enter the Gates of Heaven
Das ist die schönste Beschreibung Deutschlands und seiner Freuden, die ich je hörte. Ich lerne sie auswendig und bete sie runter, wenn ich bei einem Konditor vorbeikomme. Vielleicht komme ich doch noch in den Himmel :)
Your exceptional self-awareness traits will serve you well as you grow older. I'll be in Germany soon and your channel has been a great help for me to begin understanding the culture and differences from the US. Thank you
@@drachenrecke5090 wtf are u talking about? Germany's far from collapsing and still one of the safest countries in the world. Not perfect, nothing is. But there's no need to dramatize.
Welcome to Germany. I hope you will enjoy your time here. And please be aware that you get those absolutely delicious Butterbretzels only in the south of Germany. You can get Bretzels in other regions too, but they are less good (and without the butter).
To German Parking, you have to take into account that most of the Parking lots were created far before cars became as big as they are now. Old cars in everything not the US are so much smaller than modern cars. And add to that that you live in Schwäbisch Hall which is a city known for having a lot of small corners and tight spaces.
My Grandfather would say something similar (in Finnish). It is good to have some "pain" in life so you can enjoy the times you do not have the "pain". Good job Nalf!
Just finished a book from Mark Manson (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F@ck). He talks about this topic. We have pain and the best we can do is exchange one pain for a lesser pain. We will have come to the point where we "invent" a pain because our brains are designed to deal with pain. So the utopia that we seek will never happen because we will not let it.
Reminds me of an old German Musical (Linie 1) where it says: " ''n Leben lang Schlachsahne kann ooch keener ertragen". (Berlin dialect, translates to: A life of just whipped cream is not bearable either).
Nick, what you're discribing is frustration tolerance. Yes, it's not nice to stand a uncomftable situation. But a human should be able to come through it. You'll do it. You're grown in th e time here 😉
Sounds a bit arrogant to me. He didn't only grow "being here", I guess. He grew bc. he's young. In the states he would have also grown! (I'm german btw.)
I think you shouldn't go completely cold turkey on competitive sport. There is so much opportunity to be part of a team, of a proper German Verein, out there. Take up a new sport, join a tennis team, a basketball team, a volleyball team. I got back into tennis at 35 and now play in an over-40s team in the lowest level league there is. Amazing fun! I bet you have an aptitude for loads of different sports, think about it!
Hi from Portland, Oregon! Great video that everyone in the U.S. should be required to watch! We'd have a lot less angst with each other if we'd simply get comfortable with being uncomfortable!
@@matteslambertus7684 Except that Americans pronounce it as aengst! Drives me crazy. If you want to throw in the foreign word, pronounce it in the native fashion!
German speaking, i seriously though that this video will be a "open beer bottles with everything i can find" compilation because of the lighter in the thumbnail xD But you are right i never even realized myself that I have that kind of mentality it's just so normal that there is discomfort from time to time that you just start to ignore it. Life can't have ups if there is no down
Schwäbisch Hall, right in the heart of Hohenlohe. Supposedly the natives there are the most harsh and unfriendly German specimen you can find and also they are said to be even worse penny pinchers than those from the "Ländle" Schwabenland. I worked and lived there for over a decade, actually built an entire aeroplane there, and left for Palatinate for good. Let's just say, not all of the superstitions are true, but developing a healthy amount of stoicism will help to cope... The best thing I brought from there was the aeroplane which I still enjoy flying.
Nick, we have a nice saying about this: "Have the serenity to accept things you cannot change, the courage to change things that can be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other." You have mastered the first part - perhaps you have already mastered the second and third?😉
As a German I feel that many Germans are just the same when it comes to discomfort. Anything negative, be it physical or emotional, has to be fought, suppressed or "switched off" right away. Learning to accept discomfort, sometimes insecurity/fear, or the fact that we don't have control over many things in our life, is an important part of emotional maturity imho. Being able to say "It's not perfect right now, but that's okay" is an achievement to be proud of.
Just watching this while I'm laying on my sofa, being ill, and I really love this. I wasn't terribly aware that having this mindset of discomfort being a natural part of life is part of my German upbringing and I was just barely aware that Americans rarely share this mindset. So hearing you describe this as a strength to be proud of makes me happy and brightens up my day a bit. So, thank you for that! 😊
You can either use a lot of energy to make you always feel perfectly comfortable or you can use a little bit of energy to accept to feel uncomfortable. And once you start getting used to not always be 100% comfortable, this actually gets easy.
Never thought about it. It's absolutely true. Germans hardly ever complained when things went wrong. It just changed recently, I guess. Nowadays everybody is moaning all the time.
well i think we complain and moan all the time now because nothing goes wrong 😂 like sure some things went wrong but even if stuff goes wrong usually ur still doing way better in germany then most countries 😅 kinda weird how we hit one of the strongest economies and highest standard of living worldwide especially that combination and yet everyone complains 🥴
I'm posting from England and whatever hardships life throws at you it's worth it just to be in Germany, it's my favourite place, if I was younger I'd make a determined effort to build a life over there, I've travelled extensively but I can never get Germany our of my system.
Hey sorry to tell you this, I am a German and this 6:15 is not a Butter Brezel ist a normal Breze - still good but no butter and no they are not made out of butter or baked in butter.
as a physics student i watched your video all the way through and in the end i was still absolutely disturbed that you stick with the fahrenheit system
Damn… that was deeply reflected. Puhhh…. I’m really happy for you that you have this observatory sense to look at things and to break it down so precise. I’m confident that this ability will guide you during this new and challenging time of changes.😊
WOW man... That never occurred to me before but you are spot on. I just felt like it was normal growing up in Germany. You just dealt with things. Laws, habits, other people, grumpiness, conflict, weather (heat or cold),... so much more. When I moved to the US it felt like paradise where people made you feel good and the little annoying things were gone. I have softened up a little in my last 25 years in the US in certain ways but still can take more in other ways. One example, the dentist, unpleasant in any country. When the dentist needed to fix my cavity (cavities to be honest) he did not even ask if I wanted any anesthetics. He just started to drill and I had to ask for it. In the US, they gave me a shot right away without asking and on top of it numbed the place where they injected the shot. I remember sitting there thinking WTF? If you feel uncomfortable anywhere in the US and you tell people or people notice, they will try hard to make you less uncomfortable. I am still on the fence if I like that or not. If that is a good thing or not. (I like it but it's not necessarily good) The most uncomfortable situation is to join a group of people. As a background actor I have to do that weekly. I watch people staring into their phone to just create their own bubble to not feel lonely or uncomfortable. I have no problem with this... So far every time I was able to approach someone or a group or a table and inject myself. And always we have the best conversation for the 8 or 10 or more hours we need to sit around.
Dentists often wants to give a pain killing injection. I always laugh it off. I kind of like the little pain. And the guy should be aware that I'll fight back if he makes a mistake.
Hello. Today the metric system is used in almost all countries. Only the United States, Myanmar and Liberia have not yet made it mandatory, although the latter two use it in practice. This includes the temperature designation world more used.Why?
Similar to parking, it irritates me when I go into a restroom and there are say five stalls. I use one on the end and someone comes in and takes the one right next to me when there were others open farther down.
discomfort is part of life, i never thought different about it but this might be a german thing I never noticed before, and thought al arround the world people would think that way thank you for sharing your perspective ^-^
I think everyone can understand that for the time being such a change in life is unpleasant, but maybe it is a good opportunity as well. And being an athlete is something that cannot be done forever anyways, so at least it is not something that comes too unexpected or could have been avoided. I wish you good luck for the future and hope you find a great new task, you seem like a genuinely nice person
Congratulations young man. You made the best of your athletic abilities, and now you are wisely moving on to other challenges, hopefully without a lingering burden of excess cumulative cerebral injury which is quite unfortunately often a malady suffered by players of American-style football. I believe there are many exciting horizons open to an obviously intelligent, articulate and talented person such as yourself -and did I mention your wonderful sense of humor? -Kudos!
There is this great American philosopher named Butthead who once said: You gotta have stuff that sucks to have stuff that's cool. And it's true. To know your good you have to have your bad. And life won't be always good. Sometimes life gets really bad. You cannot control when it does, but you do can control how you react to it. Will you let it get to you or will you weather the storm till it passes you by? There is a saying or two: You don't cry over spilled milk and you don't sweat the small stuff. Germans will complain about almost anything that lowers their sense of comfort, mostly because complaining is what they like to do most. But that's all they do. Weather is too cold, it's too hot, damn snow, etc. But then they're done. The universe does not care if you find things to be uncomfortable. Some slightly uncomfy things are part of life. that is how you evolve and learn. For instance to become a football player you had to train pretty hard, get physically fit. that is hard work. it would have been way more comfy to just sit on the couch and watch tv. but that wouldn't have made you the person you are now, would it? There is an ancient prayer that goes like this: Lord, give me the strength to change the things i can, the patience to suffer the things i can't change and the wisdom to know the one from the other.
Arranging yourself with discomfort has to do with something I'd like to call "long-term selfishness". Yes, at the moment it sucks, but in the long run it helps. In Germany we say, "Was uns nicht umbringt, macht uns nur härter." -- Things that don't kill us only make us more resilient. And training ourselves to be resilient and strong is a HUGE gain if you ask me. Moreover, not accepting a little discomfort makes life a lot more expensive and burdens many of us with the great burden of debt.
This trait is expressed in many situations. When you go for a walk/hike/bike ride/ sledding/ whatever and the weather changes, we Swabians just say "There is no wrong weather, just wrong clothing" [Es gibt kein falsches Wetter, nur falsche Kleidung]. Also, my mum, born right after WWII, tends to always say "You can't have everything" [Ma kaa edd elles hao!]. Moreover, when you go out and it is raining, we usually say "We are not made of sugar", meaning that the rain won't melt us, we'll just have to endure it. This has always been especially fitting in the Swabian Mountains, about 40-50km south of Schwäbisch Hall. The living conditions and the climate and therefore the people have always been a little "rough", so to speak. Albeit that is true, I totally agree: This one character trait is very useful and helps you to be more happy and get along in life. Also, I must agree with mhale: Beware of German [Swabian] grandmas. When you're visiting, you'll be assigned little jobs faster than you can say "I suddenly need to use the bathroom". Cutting the branches on that apple tree? Check. Mowing the grass? check. Getting "Sprudel" from the cellar? check. Setting the table? Yes! Coming along to the cemetery to water the plants? Ooooh yeah. ...
0:35 i've been living in the US almost 10 years now, i still use Celsius for weather/temperature (although my thermostat is in F, because it was like that when i moved into this apartment, and i know that this temp in this apartment is comfortable)
The American version: like life cought me in bed with its wife! My preferred answer to this question: manchmal bist du der Hund, manchmal ist du der Baum...
I'm so happy to see you growing-up / maturing, handsome! My "Murican" Ex-hubby and still best friend will probably appreciate seeing another "Murican" fella (than him) having emotionally matured so much thanks to a different social setting. I am happy for you and your friends, future lovers etc., handsome! Keep on exploring, achieving, failing and learning from your mistakes (it's the most human and only way to grow actually, but don't tell the perfectionists we once were, too😅😉 ) - as long as you have friends who're truly there for you, can "see" you in any human possible mood, emotional state and either just keep you company without judgement supporting you with calm presence as a "rock in the stormy sea" or who even actively inspire you to insights and help you understand the Data beyond your emotions a little better: as long as you're not abandoned, you're richer than most of those over-ambitious status-chasers... As long as you can make financial ends meet without too much anxiety and existential dread, you're a lucky handsome "bastard" (not in the derogatory sense, mind you, but in the affectionate-friendly one) - like anyone in that condition is, too. Yet, we all have our very unique stories to tell and share - and I love seeing yours develop so well here. Cheers ma(y)te - and happy to see you again after not having watched too many of your vids for a while (was mostly watching weather forecasts here on TH-cam and Train-Journeys from mostly Japanese folks - but , btw.: you're living in Baden-Württemberg, so relatively close to Switzerland (in comparison to where I live in Germany), which happens to have the best (concerning reliability and punctuality) train-network in all of Europe, despite snow-covered Mountains in Winter-time (or wintery spring-time like we have here in the Northern Half of Germany currently at the least still). - I remember having watched some videos of you traveling somewhere, too, but not sure anymore where it was since it's been a while. But trains here in Germany are in most areas still a pain in the booty/heinie since the whole network has been so much reduced after the privatization of the "Deutsche Bahn" *sigh* So, I understand seeing you mostly in your car - but will you consider using the 49-€ Month-Ticket for using all public transport (only regional connections/trains though - not the High-Speed IC(E) connections though) country-wide some time when it's available or stick to your car because your home-town/-city doesn't have such a good public transport connection (which is usually the case in more rural areas sadly)? Cheers and looking forward to seeing more of you, when you - and the peeps you're meeting - are willing to share it❣🥰
Great video! Love it! And yes, I totally feel you. "Loosing" (or leaving) a family/friendgroup sucks.. 2 Things to find friends in Germany: Speak the language! Don't be afraid. Just do it. (Tell your gf to talk some days of the week only in german. You will learn fast!) And 2nd go to school/job and sports (actively, I mean; not watching). "Making" friends in Germany isn't easy. But once you have them, they (tend to) stay with you. ☺️💗
The only thing I could think of in this video is the phrase "wir sind doch net aus Zucker“ (translated: "we aren't made if sugar", meaning that it just isn't that great at the moment, but we are strong enough to deal with that, often used when someone complains about the rain)
01:30 I feel with you man -_- This and all the people that refuse to drive on the right side on the autobahn if the could annoy me they most on german streets.
interesting vid! thanks… reminds me of one of my catch phrases or maybe even some kind of motto I try to follow in life and my regard to it, as I find it does ease things out: „Kein Nachteil ohne Vorteil!“
Watching this video brought me slight discomfort since it took so long to get to the point. The point is: Germans are able to accept slight discomfort, which, apparently, people from the USA are unable of.
I'm in a similar state of mind lately. Life throws some things at you that can be genuinely scary at times, and it's okay to admit that. The important part is to eventually pick yourself back up and face your problems head-on
I am always looking forward to your videos. Thank you very much for your open mind. Your Thoughts. Your conclusions. Your deep thoughts. And your humour.
Hi there, watched your videos for quite a while - and enjoyed them very much. I am half Scottish and also lived in the UK for a while so to me it is quite interesting how people form the UK or US look at Germany. Since you may now open a new chapter to your life in Germany … it might be a good idea to leave the Schwäbsich Hall bubble (I live in Baden) and expand on those regional differences within Germany … I mean people from Baden and Württemberg are already different … having said that, people from the north of Baden are completely different than the ones in the south of Baden already … don’t even mention “central Baden” 😊. Maybe it is that, deep down, Germans still think of themselves as in “tribes” - who knows. Loved your video about the “German stare” btw - even though I grew up here … I spent ten years in the UK and I noticed it afterwards … big time.
Man, I just subscribed to your channel because I realized, you make me appreciate the things I take for granted being a german. My brother in law moved to california and will be visiting soon and stay for a year with his wife and friends, and I couldn´t get my head around why someone from california would want to spend so much time here, but now I get it ;)
I think it depends a lot on what you're uncomfortable wit. If it's something physical you know that it will go away soon and/or you can change yourself, that's alright. Like some cold that usually lasts a few days or when you have to wait outside in bad weather. But being scared of something or some pain you don't know why you have it is different.
What a great video. Never thought of it, but this is actually the reason why things are so crazy in USA. The comfort level needs to be 200%....ALL THE TIME FOR EVERYTHING🤣
Or as the British would put it, a stiff upper lip. A will of iron, strong tall bodies, full of curiosity and empathy. Europeans really are the pinnacle of human evolution.
But you can do both, right? When you see the number you can visualize it in both F and C? Cuz IMHO refusing to learn C is akin to refusing to learn a part of the language, which would be really annoying when you hear, "It's 18 degrees today, woo!" and you might not know what that means in C.
@@Esablaka But you can't live in Germany without being totally bombarded by C on the news and in conversation. I would think that would adjust someone *shrug*
Oh you completely missunderstand german mentality. You know, being discomforted allows us to complain. And what do germans love more than comfort? YES, to complain about discomfort. ;) So it's a net positive, not some stoic ability to accept discomfort.
That was fun one. I'm german and got often caught myself (or by others) complaining, but in the same time I hate acting like that and it's still hard not to be like that. 😂
...where the discomfort starts, the adventure begins. ;) Looks to me you'll never choose the boring part of the choice, so better get used to some discomfort. Speaking from a the background of the german part of a german-american couple I wish you all the best for your endevours. Don't loose faith, any version of the future will be worth it. P.S. Most likely you made your decision (to choose some discomfort over a typical american life) many years ago, the question is: did you already admit it to yourself? Hi from not far from Laura's neighborhood.
Nalf, you spent years as a competitive athlete. That's a great way to learn how to enjoy discomfort. I think Germans and Brits are the best at complaining about things, to the point of an artform. They complain about every tiny little thing (the streetcar is late, the coffee is cold, the precipitation is unpleasant). The art in Britain is to turn the complaint into something humorous. The art in Germany is to figure out how to blame the discomfort on somebody else.
the art is to complain A LOT but as soon someone suggest to DO SOMETHING about it to complain that the problem is not big enough to make any solution worthwhile.
@@pouncepounce7417 Is there a difference between west and east Germany or was there a difference regarding complaining? I have a feeling in the west it could be or would have been more a complain about inefficiency and in the east more about frustration with the general circumstances (DDR) and not being able to make a matter. Those two slightly different approaches may have merged together in the last few years.
@@elale8016 Culture does differ between east and west, and will for some time, the culture became stunted under the so called "socialism" and left people with way less impulse to fix problems for themself, that was punishable for a long time.
that's southern parking my dude. it has to be. i almost never see that stuff in the north or berlin. berlin parking is a different kind of crazy though, have to admit...
Didn't see this coming. Cause Germans are most often seen as a bit whinig, accusing others for doing things wrong, never beeing satisfied with anything, etc. When it comes to nature, yes they are relaxed, maybe cause it's forbidden to blame god for the weather. Americans on the other hand, are more known to be always happy, they are always "great" and "fine" no matter in what condition. But maybe you've shown us here, what they say and what they feel are different cups of tea.
It's funny what you said about the Parking. I'm British and live in North Germany. I love it here. One of the quirky things I find here is that the car park can be empty, yet they will park right next to you and so close that you can't get in your car. It's not just with Parking. When you go to the beach too. We spend a lot of time in Gran Canaria. The beach can be empty, with loads of free sunbeds, yet the will take the sunbeds directly next to you.
German bakeries are way better than Starbucks, in my opinion
I agree, and I’m American. 😊 Kaffee und Kuchen rate high on my list of things I like about Germany.
Bettet AND cheaper.
Unless you got an addiction to caramel sirup or soy milk in your coffee.
That's a pretty low bar, though.
Of course they are, that’s not even a question
It's an old antique paneuropean idea, called Stoicism.
My father in law (2 times wounded as young WW2 soldier, his wife, my mother in law 40 years in wheel-chair from multiple sclerosis...) always quoted Karl Valentin: " ich freue mich wenn es regnet ,denn wenn ich mich nicht freue, regnet es auch"
(I'm happy when it rains because if I'm not happy, it rains too)
what a beautiful quote!
Yes, my favorite quote, too!
One of my favourite quotes. Valentin was a genius.
"Regen ist flüssiger Sonnenschein!" "Rain is liquid sunshine after all!"
@@chrisb2942 I think it was Shaw who famously said: "Whiskey is liquid sunshine" - I tend to agree. 😀
"No one likes being uncomfortable."
Except German grandmas. You know they're happy when they have something to complain about.
The most typical German trait is complaining. We can't be happy if we have nothing we can complain about.
Definitely no 😂
No only a few
So true, grandgrandmas
Cannot second that.
Your poor grandmas, what a miserable life they must have?
Both my grandma's went through the war with their young children, one was a refugee of war, who had lost everything in the east to the russians, but got her two childs through the enemy lines, had to clean war ruin's bricks to be recycled, in exchange for the right to get one of the new apartments, whilst her husband still was a prisoner of war.
He then survived the war by just 10 years, too, when he finally came back.
Both never complained about anything. The refugee early widowed grandma even used to laugh about anything i had complaints of and taught me to deal with it.
Maybe complaining is a younger generation thing.
Das erinnert mich an Obelix, als er an einem verregneten Tag am Strand steht und anmerkt, dass es "auffrischt". Später schüttet es in Strömen und er merkt an: "Heut frischt es mehr und mehr auf". Immer wenn ich im Regen gehe oder stehe, denk ich dran, und schon ist es nur mehr halb so schlimm.
It's always the perspective. We were in Scotland, wind, light rain, not warm, sweaters and warm jacket. Then we talk to a local in a T-Shirt who tells us, yeah the weather is going to get worse. Right now it's still T-shirt weather.
❤️
ich erinnere mich..danke. hab das glaub ich vor 25 jahren als kind gelesen
Wow das ist ja eine Klasse Anekdote!! Danke fürs Teilen, einfach spitze! :)
Schöne Geschichte!
Welcher Asterix ist das? Asterix und die Gallier?
Meine Freundin sagt in unangenehmen Situationen: „Wer weiß wofür es gut ist.“ Vielleicht brauchst du diese Lebensphase für den Übergang in einen neuen Lebensabschnitt. 👍
Das war der Standartspruch meiner Mutter und meiner Großeltern.
Wenn etwas schief geht, besonders im Urlaub, fängt das Abenteuer an.
Du wirst noch in Jahren davon erzählen!😊
oder: "Frustrationsbewältigung fördert den Charakter"... wieviel Charakter kann der Mensch eigtl. vertragen? :)
As an American I lived in Germany for almost 5 years. Day 1 I knew this was a great country and I loved it! The people are so real and were very welcoming to me. The food/beer and countryside were amazing. I honestly did don't want to come back to America when I did. My wife and I go back as often as we can to see my friends and in my head, I'm home. Trust me on this, the longer you live there the harder it will be to leave. Thanks for posting this and all the best
As an German i never wanted to leave this country more than now :D
@@Dstreet45Dkwho’s keeping you? Seriously and not at all flippantly - if you feel like that, do it.
@@thefluffyferretSimple he is here at home. I am here at home, too and love my country
❤ sooo, from one American to another, I left military service in 1984 and have lived here since. I married a German, got to know Germans, lived ate worked studied and then took nursing school. Now after 2 marriages, 2 divorces and 6 children and 6 grandchildren later... All I can say is, things never, never ever, go according to plan. You take your steps, they look good, and for a while it works, good. There's no "but" here, it's all Okay. You learn, how life here in Germany works. Just ask, if you are'nt sure. Hell, if I went to live in the States after 45 years I'd be totally lost. Absolutely lost. I would be asking thousands of people, how to do what where how. Language proficiency is key. Reading writing speaking. School and Study gave me a good leap forward. But so does living together and or working with Germans. Life, just takes it's time. And as long as you're healthy in body, and mind, put one foot forward. The other will follow. I've learned, Gelassenheit. Calmness composure serenity. You can Not Force TIME. Regulating your lifestyle, integrating also with the cultural calender, times of the year, vacation work freetime...have a hobby or two. Ride bicycle. Every town village city has beautiful bike paths even between cities and towns. Here we have a wide open Horizon. Take weekend city trips. Take in the culture here, its so much you can't see it all...just plan it out and do it. Security is important. A job that you like and pays reasonably. You have health insurance coverage and retirement benifits. Deutsche Rentenversicherung Additionally extra company retirement benifits Betriebsrente. One day, you will be older all of a sudden. And zip you have to adapt to less money. Half to be exact. And youll be to tired to work and play as you did when young or middle age. Youll want to rest up more often. By then youll be as old as me. I was athletic. And that was Great. So just keep moving, don't stop. Go camping. Drive to Spain. Great camping. France. Germany. Switzerland Austria Croatia Greece. Shall I say more!? Buy a camera and take great Pictures. Hike in the Mountains. Paddle down the Yukon on a trip to Alaska. Theres no time to worry. Worry only makes you old. Viel Glück
wow. thank you.
Beautifully said ...
I will send this video and the comments to my relatives born in Germany and living in US to give them an idea of living in Germany - they will love it as well as I did - big hug from Germany ♥️
It reads a bit like the Pink Floyd song 'Time'. Zipp... "And then one day you find ten years have got behind you". At some point it will no longer be 10 years, but 50 years and you wonder where the time has gone. It really is, I can confirm.
Wow
"There is a German characteristic that I am very proud to have adopted over the years." Eating a daily butter pretzel.
TSGO
Butter pretzel are not German. Here in the North you have Franzbrötchen or Danish special bakery.
@@meinich5488 The Germany you're living in is not the Germany we're living in. ;)
North Germany is for me like a foreign state, I know Italy better than Schleswig-Holstein, where I never was in my life and I often wonder why? I‘m going to change that. I was more abroad in my life than in my own country. Shame on me! I‘ve never eaten Franzbrötchen, I‘ll also change that. Sry but I‘m from the wild south called Bavaria.
@@astara5802 And it is about 1000 Kilometers from the South of Germany to the North. Imagine living a country that is over 5000 kilometers across. I feel as much at home in my wife's hometown of Darmstadt, Hessen, than I do in many parts of America!
Now, another fun but also interesting and well balanced video of someone whose life is changing from one phase to the next one.
Self-critically well observed and documented. 😎.
Nalf, ask your German girl friend to show you a Conditerei. This will open your eyes to something much better than a chain store STARBUCKS.
At a Conditerei, you can get your coffee fix too, but the Conditerei bakes many different kinds of delicious cakes and pastries. So go in; drool at the selection on offer; make a choice, - mit Schlagsahne or Ohne - sit at one of their tables; order your coffee and then as you eat your Torte, slowly enter the Gates of Heaven
Das ist die schönste Beschreibung Deutschlands und seiner Freuden, die ich je hörte. Ich lerne sie auswendig und bete sie runter, wenn ich bei einem Konditor vorbeikomme. Vielleicht komme ich doch noch in den Himmel :)
Your exceptional self-awareness traits will serve you well as you grow older. I'll be in Germany soon and your channel has been a great help for me to begin understanding the culture and differences from the US. Thank you
Herzlich willkommen! Hope you will have a great time!
Atm our country is collapsing. I wish you the best of luck. Oh, and don`t go into the inner city after dark.
@@drachenrecke5090 wtf are u talking about? Germany's far from collapsing and still one of the safest countries in the world. Not perfect, nothing is. But there's no need to dramatize.
@@drachenrecke5090 don't be silly.
Welcome to Germany. I hope you will enjoy your time here. And please be aware that you get those absolutely delicious Butterbretzels only in the south of Germany. You can get Bretzels in other regions too, but they are less good (and without the butter).
To German Parking, you have to take into account that most of the Parking lots were created far before cars became as big as they are now. Old cars in everything not the US are so much smaller than modern cars. And add to that that you live in Schwäbisch Hall which is a city known for having a lot of small corners and tight spaces.
Naja, das hätte man auch irgendwann schon mal ändern können DIN XY für Parkplatzstandard Paragraf Dings Absatz B. Eimer Farbe dazu und los geht's.
No matter how large the parking spots are, when it comes to parking most of the Germans are really ruthless and egoistic….. That is the hard truth….
My Grandfather would say something similar (in Finnish). It is good to have some "pain" in life so you can enjoy the times you do not have the "pain". Good job Nalf!
my (german) dad used to say: you know what the best thing is about pain? the moment when it goes away :)
Not only that. Often pain clears the soul..
@@uliwehnerJa!! 😅 So schön, wenn der Schmerz nachlässt!!
Just finished a book from Mark Manson (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F@ck). He talks about this topic. We have pain and the best we can do is exchange one pain for a lesser pain. We will have come to the point where we "invent" a pain because our brains are designed to deal with pain. So the utopia that we seek will never happen because we will not let it.
Reminds me of an old German Musical (Linie 1) where it says: " ''n Leben lang Schlachsahne kann ooch keener ertragen". (Berlin dialect, translates to: A life of just whipped cream is not bearable either).
Nick, what you're discribing is frustration tolerance. Yes, it's not nice to stand a uncomftable situation. But a human should be able to come through it.
You'll do it. You're grown in th e time here 😉
Sounds a bit arrogant to me.
He didn't only grow "being here", I guess. He grew bc. he's young. In the states he would have also grown!
(I'm german btw.)
„Mache die Dinge so einfach wie möglich - aber nicht einfacher.“ (Albert Einstein).
If you go sleding and DON'T crash you didn't do it right! It's part of the fun, so you did just right.
I think you shouldn't go completely cold turkey on competitive sport. There is so much opportunity to be part of a team, of a proper German Verein, out there. Take up a new sport, join a tennis team, a basketball team, a volleyball team. I got back into tennis at 35 and now play in an over-40s team in the lowest level league there is. Amazing fun! I bet you have an aptitude for loads of different sports, think about it!
I recommend playing rugby.
Get out of your comfort zone, remove the pads and enjoy it 😁
Although his retirement is just saying he's quitting football as a profession (i.e. full time job). It doesn't mean he won't play in his spare time!?
Maybe he should take up Luge
What is not competetive, at least with yourself ? Yoga ? Hiking maybe.
Hi from Portland, Oregon! Great video that everyone in the U.S. should be required to watch! We'd have a lot less angst with each other if we'd simply get comfortable with being uncomfortable!
yes, it should be made a requirement.
Funny that you also use ther german word angst here.... was that intentional?
Waving from Sherwood, Oregon :)
@@matteslambertus7684 Except that Americans pronounce it as aengst! Drives me crazy. If you want to throw in the foreign word, pronounce it in the native fashion!
Greetings from Laurel Oregon....I totally agree with your comment! Cheers!
German speaking, i seriously though that this video will be a "open beer bottles with everything i can find" compilation because of the lighter in the thumbnail xD
But you are right i never even realized myself that I have that kind of mentality it's just so normal that there is discomfort from time to time that you just start to ignore it. Life can't have ups if there is no down
Yes, only yes. What does not kill you is not to mention. If it kills you.... uhm... someone else may mention it.😊
Feeling comfortable when you are uncomfortable is actually a great advantage in life, because one obstacle to human happiness has been overcome…
You are on a much bigger team now. Your fans love you!!!
Schwäbisch Hall, right in the heart of Hohenlohe. Supposedly the natives there are the most harsh and unfriendly German specimen you can find and also they are said to be even worse penny pinchers than those from the "Ländle" Schwabenland.
I worked and lived there for over a decade, actually built an entire aeroplane there, and left for Palatinate for good. Let's just say, not all of the superstitions are true, but developing a healthy amount of stoicism will help to cope...
The best thing I brought from there was the aeroplane which I still enjoy flying.
Nick, we have a nice saying about this:
"Have the serenity to accept things you cannot change, the courage to change things that can be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other."
You have mastered the first part - perhaps you have already mastered the second and third?😉
As a German I feel that many Germans are just the same when it comes to discomfort. Anything negative, be it physical or emotional, has to be fought, suppressed or "switched off" right away. Learning to accept discomfort, sometimes insecurity/fear, or the fact that we don't have control over many things in our life, is an important part of emotional maturity imho. Being able to say "It's not perfect right now, but that's okay" is an achievement to be proud of.
Beautiful Video With a important message - be comfortabel in being uncomfortable - that Makes you free, That will Make you fly
Just watching this while I'm laying on my sofa, being ill, and I really love this. I wasn't terribly aware that having this mindset of discomfort being a natural part of life is part of my German upbringing and I was just barely aware that Americans rarely share this mindset. So hearing you describe this as a strength to be proud of makes me happy and brightens up my day a bit. So, thank you for that! 😊
You can either use a lot of energy to make you always feel perfectly comfortable or you can use a little bit of energy to accept to feel uncomfortable.
And once you start getting used to not always be 100% comfortable, this actually gets easy.
Never thought about it. It's absolutely true. Germans hardly ever complained when things went wrong. It just changed recently, I guess. Nowadays everybody is moaning all the time.
And many don't even need a tangible reason anymore.. that's social evolution at its finest. :-X
Not everybody, only those who are quite Well Off! And they also get the Most media attention
well i think we complain and moan all the time now because nothing goes wrong 😂 like sure some things went wrong but even if stuff goes wrong usually ur still doing way better in germany then most countries 😅 kinda weird how we hit one of the strongest economies and highest standard of living worldwide especially that combination and yet everyone complains 🥴
I asked my grandparents about this a little while ago, they said that back then people in Germany were complaining as much as today. So, no worries.
@@MeriloLB complaining is not the issue. People do complain, but they still deal with it.
I'm posting from England and whatever hardships life throws at you it's worth it just to be in Germany, it's my favourite place, if I was younger I'd make a determined effort to build a life over there, I've travelled extensively but I can never get Germany our of my system.
To be fair, Fahrenheit (although born in Poland) was of German blood.
I will trust a Swede over a German any day, when it comes to expressing how cold it is!
@@Nabend1402 ...but not how warm it is! LOL
They shanghaied Niclas Copernic also... . Kant is kept by the Russians... thank God!😊
Hey sorry to tell you this, I am a German and this 6:15 is not a Butter Brezel ist a normal Breze - still good but no butter and no they are not made out of butter or baked in butter.
Accepting that you cannot get immediately what you desire, making you feel uncomfortable, but shows that you have grown up .
as a physics student i watched your video all the way through and in the end i was still absolutely disturbed that you stick with the fahrenheit system
Er bekommt es immer wieder hin.
Den gewissen Nalf Flavour 💕👌😅
Respekt Nick!
Damn… that was deeply reflected. Puhhh…. I’m really happy for you that you have this observatory sense to look at things and to break it down so precise. I’m confident that this ability will guide you during this new and challenging time of changes.😊
WOW man... That never occurred to me before but you are spot on. I just felt like it was normal growing up in Germany. You just dealt with things. Laws, habits, other people, grumpiness, conflict, weather (heat or cold),... so much more. When I moved to the US it felt like paradise where people made you feel good and the little annoying things were gone. I have softened up a little in my last 25 years in the US in certain ways but still can take more in other ways. One example, the dentist, unpleasant in any country. When the dentist needed to fix my cavity (cavities to be honest) he did not even ask if I wanted any anesthetics. He just started to drill and I had to ask for it. In the US, they gave me a shot right away without asking and on top of it numbed the place where they injected the shot. I remember sitting there thinking WTF?
If you feel uncomfortable anywhere in the US and you tell people or people notice, they will try hard to make you less uncomfortable. I am still on the fence if I like that or not. If that is a good thing or not. (I like it but it's not necessarily good)
The most uncomfortable situation is to join a group of people. As a background actor I have to do that weekly. I watch people staring into their phone to just create their own bubble to not feel lonely or uncomfortable. I have no problem with this... So far every time I was able to approach someone or a group or a table and inject myself. And always we have the best conversation for the 8 or 10 or more hours we need to sit around.
Dentists often wants to give a pain killing injection. I always laugh it off. I kind of like the little pain. And the guy should be aware that I'll fight back if he makes a mistake.
IMO your best vid so far, reflective, wholesome, down to earth. Thanks! 🇸🇪🇫🇮
Hello.
Today the metric system is used in almost all countries. Only the United States, Myanmar and Liberia have not yet made it mandatory, although the latter two use it in practice. This includes the temperature designation world more used.Why?
Me, with my Centigrade brain: 39 Degrees? That’s burning hot.
2:03 you actually filmed the Autobahn exit to my home town, Großbottwar :) how nice to have spotted it in your video!
I am geman and I tell you, this is not a german trait. It is just common sense! But this leads to another discussion about amerricans...
Similar to parking, it irritates me when I go into a restroom and there are say five stalls. I use one on the end and someone comes in and takes the one right next to me when there were others open farther down.
discomfort is part of life, i never thought different about it but this might be a german thing I never noticed before, and thought al arround the world people would think that way thank you for sharing your perspective ^-^
0:35 Well in Celsius it's much easier judging temperatures since water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C.
It is a good mindset to have when I visit Germany in August for a 3 week vacation. Enjoy the updates in your new journey.
if you intend on using the trains here youll definitely need it! :D
I think everyone can understand that for the time being such a change in life is unpleasant, but maybe it is a good opportunity as well. And being an athlete is something that cannot be done forever anyways, so at least it is not something that comes too unexpected or could have been avoided. I wish you good luck for the future and hope you find a great new task, you seem like a genuinely nice person
It all takes time, be patient!
Congratulations young man. You made the best of your athletic abilities, and now you are wisely moving on to other challenges, hopefully without a lingering burden of excess cumulative cerebral injury which is quite unfortunately often a malady suffered by players of American-style football.
I believe there are many exciting horizons open to an obviously intelligent, articulate and talented person such as yourself -and did I mention your wonderful sense of humor? -Kudos!
Yes, the impact of the brain damage is already apparent.
There is this great American philosopher named Butthead who once said: You gotta have stuff that sucks to have stuff that's cool.
And it's true. To know your good you have to have your bad. And life won't be always good. Sometimes life gets really bad. You cannot control when it does, but you do can control how you react to it. Will you let it get to you or will you weather the storm till it passes you by? There is a saying or two: You don't cry over spilled milk and you don't sweat the small stuff. Germans will complain about almost anything that lowers their sense of comfort, mostly because complaining is what they like to do most. But that's all they do. Weather is too cold, it's too hot, damn snow, etc. But then they're done. The universe does not care if you find things to be uncomfortable. Some slightly uncomfy things are part of life. that is how you evolve and learn. For instance to become a football player you had to train pretty hard, get physically fit. that is hard work. it would have been way more comfy to just sit on the couch and watch tv. but that wouldn't have made you the person you are now, would it?
There is an ancient prayer that goes like this: Lord, give me the strength to change the things i can, the patience to suffer the things i can't change and the wisdom to know the one from the other.
Arranging yourself with discomfort has to do with something I'd like to call "long-term selfishness". Yes, at the moment it sucks, but in the long run it helps. In Germany we say, "Was uns nicht umbringt, macht uns nur härter." -- Things that don't kill us only make us more resilient. And training ourselves to be resilient and strong is a HUGE gain if you ask me. Moreover, not accepting a little discomfort makes life a lot more expensive and burdens many of us with the great burden of debt.
This trait is expressed in many situations. When you go for a walk/hike/bike ride/ sledding/ whatever and the weather changes, we Swabians just say "There is no wrong weather, just wrong clothing" [Es gibt kein falsches Wetter, nur falsche Kleidung]. Also, my mum, born right after WWII, tends to always say "You can't have everything" [Ma kaa edd elles hao!]. Moreover, when you go out and it is raining, we usually say "We are not made of sugar", meaning that the rain won't melt us, we'll just have to endure it. This has always been especially fitting in the Swabian Mountains, about 40-50km south of Schwäbisch Hall. The living conditions and the climate and therefore the people have always been a little "rough", so to speak. Albeit that is true, I totally agree: This one character trait is very useful and helps you to be more happy and get along in life. Also, I must agree with mhale: Beware of German [Swabian] grandmas. When you're visiting, you'll be assigned little jobs faster than you can say "I suddenly need to use the bathroom". Cutting the branches on that apple tree? Check. Mowing the grass? check. Getting "Sprudel" from the cellar? check. Setting the table? Yes! Coming along to the cemetery to water the plants? Ooooh yeah. ...
0:35 i've been living in the US almost 10 years now, i still use Celsius for weather/temperature (although my thermostat is in F, because it was like that when i moved into this apartment, and i know that this temp in this apartment is comfortable)
so, after watching this video I am waiting for you, Nalf, answer the question: "Na, wie geht's?" with "Muss!"
The American version: like life cought me in bed with its wife!
My preferred answer to this question: manchmal bist du der Hund, manchmal ist du der Baum...
I am so glad you decided to stay here in Germany. This country needs people like you!
I'm so happy to see you growing-up / maturing, handsome!
My "Murican" Ex-hubby and still best friend will probably appreciate seeing another "Murican" fella (than him) having emotionally matured so much thanks to a different social setting.
I am happy for you and your friends, future lovers etc., handsome! Keep on exploring, achieving, failing and learning from your mistakes (it's the most human and only way to grow actually, but don't tell the perfectionists we once were, too😅😉 ) - as long as you have friends who're truly there for you, can "see" you in any human possible mood, emotional state and either just keep you company without judgement supporting you with calm presence as a "rock in the stormy sea" or who even actively inspire you to insights and help you understand the Data beyond your emotions a little better: as long as you're not abandoned, you're richer than most of those over-ambitious status-chasers...
As long as you can make financial ends meet without too much anxiety and existential dread, you're a lucky handsome "bastard" (not in the derogatory sense, mind you, but in the affectionate-friendly one) - like anyone in that condition is, too. Yet, we all have our very unique stories to tell and share - and I love seeing yours develop so well here.
Cheers ma(y)te - and happy to see you again after not having watched too many of your vids for a while (was mostly watching weather forecasts here on TH-cam and Train-Journeys from mostly Japanese folks - but , btw.: you're living in Baden-Württemberg, so relatively close to Switzerland (in comparison to where I live in Germany), which happens to have the best (concerning reliability and punctuality) train-network in all of Europe, despite snow-covered Mountains in Winter-time (or wintery spring-time like we have here in the Northern Half of Germany currently at the least still).
- I remember having watched some videos of you traveling somewhere, too, but not sure anymore where it was since it's been a while.
But trains here in Germany are in most areas still a pain in the booty/heinie since the whole network has been so much reduced after the privatization of the "Deutsche Bahn" *sigh* So, I understand seeing you mostly in your car - but will you consider using the 49-€ Month-Ticket for using all public transport (only regional connections/trains though - not the High-Speed IC(E) connections though) country-wide some time when it's available or stick to your car because your home-town/-city doesn't have such a good public transport connection (which is usually the case in more rural areas sadly)?
Cheers and looking forward to seeing more of you, when you - and the peeps you're meeting - are willing to share it❣🥰
Haven't been this glued to a screen for a long time, amazing video
The little bit over the edge of where life is comfortable is where you grow the most as a person 🌟
Great video! Love it!
And yes, I totally feel you. "Loosing" (or leaving) a family/friendgroup sucks..
2 Things to find friends in Germany:
Speak the language! Don't be afraid. Just do it. (Tell your gf to talk some days of the week only in german. You will learn fast!)
And 2nd go to school/job and sports (actively, I mean; not watching).
"Making" friends in Germany isn't easy. But once you have them, they (tend to) stay with you. ☺️💗
I havent noticed this trait of ours until you made this video - a little eye-opening :)
Oh hey it's you again! I haven't watched your stuff in a while and I think it's super cool that you move to germany!
when i saw the lighter in the thumbnail i thought you were going to say that you can open beer with everything now
The only thing I could think of in this video is the phrase "wir sind doch net aus Zucker“ (translated: "we aren't made if sugar", meaning that it just isn't that great at the moment, but we are strong enough to deal with that, often used when someone complains about the rain)
Hope you stay happy in Germany...wish you both all the best.
Beautiful sentiment.
01:30 I feel with you man -_-
This and all the people that refuse to drive on the right side on the autobahn if the could annoy me they most on german streets.
Adaptability takes one a long way
Very nice adaption of being comfortable being a little bit uncomfortable
i love to see videos like this one from you. Editing is also very good, and a nice message to think about. Thanks for sharing!
interesting vid! thanks…
reminds me of one of my catch phrases or maybe even some kind of motto I try to follow in life and my regard to it, as I find it does ease things out:
„Kein Nachteil ohne Vorteil!“
Wow, that was an amazing video with a great message :) Thank you for sharing your life with us and entertaining us again and again
Watching this video brought me slight discomfort since it took so long to get to the point.
The point is: Germans are able to accept slight discomfort, which, apparently, people from the USA are unable of.
Saw Unicorn Town on my Emirates flight last week. All I can say is it's 10/10. Well done!
I'm in a similar state of mind lately. Life throws some things at you that can be genuinely scary at times, and it's okay to admit that. The important part is to eventually pick yourself back up and face your problems head-on
I am always looking forward to your videos. Thank you very much for your open mind. Your Thoughts. Your conclusions. Your deep thoughts. And your humour.
Wahre Worte
Some discomfort is ok… with a bit of stoicism it seems. Good combo to being more resilient.
Hi there, watched your videos for quite a while - and enjoyed them very much. I am half Scottish and also lived in the UK for a while so to me it is quite interesting how people form the UK or US look at Germany. Since you may now open a new chapter to your life in Germany … it might be a good idea to leave the Schwäbsich Hall bubble (I live in Baden) and expand on those regional differences within Germany … I mean people from Baden and Württemberg are already different … having said that, people from the north of Baden are completely different than the ones in the south of Baden already … don’t even mention “central Baden” 😊. Maybe it is that, deep down, Germans still think of themselves as in “tribes” - who knows. Loved your video about the “German stare” btw - even though I grew up here … I spent ten years in the UK and I noticed it afterwards … big time.
The past is gone, the future is not here, now I am free of both. Right now, I choose joy. 💖
Man, I just subscribed to your channel because I realized, you make me appreciate the things I take for granted being a german. My brother in law moved to california and will be visiting soon and stay for a year with his wife and friends, and I couldn´t get my head around why someone from california would want to spend so much time here, but now I get it ;)
I think it depends a lot on what you're uncomfortable wit. If it's something physical you know that it will go away soon and/or you can change yourself, that's alright. Like some cold that usually lasts a few days or when you have to wait outside in bad weather.
But being scared of something or some pain you don't know why you have it is different.
What a great video. Never thought of it, but this is actually the reason why things are so crazy in USA. The comfort level needs to be 200%....ALL THE TIME FOR EVERYTHING🤣
Or as the British would put it, a stiff upper lip.
A will of iron, strong tall bodies, full of curiosity and empathy.
Europeans really are the pinnacle of human evolution.
Life is what happens on a detour.
Same, still got my weather app on F even after 7 years
23 years here. Everything else auf Deutsch but don’t touch my Fahrenheit.
Have you tried just setting it to °C for a couple weeks ?
That might be enough to get you adjusted.
@@Esablaka I have no issues dealing with *C on a daily basis. I simply prefer *F.
But you can do both, right? When you see the number you can visualize it in both F and C? Cuz IMHO refusing to learn C is akin to refusing to learn a part of the language, which would be really annoying when you hear, "It's 18 degrees today, woo!" and you might not know what that means in C.
@@Esablaka But you can't live in Germany without being totally bombarded by C on the news and in conversation. I would think that would adjust someone *shrug*
...you and your Butterbrezel ! 😅 I love it! Björn 🖖
During very uncomfortable moments never forget that community of Nalficorns who would never let you down 🥰
You'll pull through and become even Better
Oh you completely missunderstand german mentality. You know, being discomforted allows us to complain. And what do germans love more than comfort? YES, to complain about discomfort. ;) So it's a net positive, not some stoic ability to accept discomfort.
So funny! Thanks for making me smile.
That was fun one. I'm german and got often caught myself (or by others) complaining, but in the same time I hate acting like that and it's still hard not to be like that. 😂
If you want to find your way around any city, German or otherwise, ask some Mormon Missionaries when you see them. Most of them speak fluent English.
Honestly, the discomfort thing is just us trying not to bother anyone and dont caring for others insignificant problems.
...where the discomfort starts, the adventure begins. ;)
Looks to me you'll never choose the boring part of the choice, so better get used to some discomfort.
Speaking from a the background of the german part of a german-american couple I wish you all the best for your endevours.
Don't loose faith, any version of the future will be worth it.
P.S.
Most likely you made your decision (to choose some discomfort over a typical american life) many years ago, the question is:
did you already admit it to yourself?
Hi from not far from Laura's neighborhood.
I watched some of your videos a few years ago and damn your editing skills have improved tremendously. Keep it up!
more power to you. even in bad times one must not allow oneself to give up. keep fighting. enjoy the times you don't have to fight.
Lovely vid, first time watcher. Very interesting to see someone change and have new insights.
I am also from Portland and live in Stuttgart. The parking part getting in on from other side was super funny
It's creative, inventive, artisctic, handling life .. but funny ?
"What doesnt kill you, makes you stronger" a term i heard alot growing up in DE
Nalf, you spent years as a competitive athlete. That's a great way to learn how to enjoy discomfort.
I think Germans and Brits are the best at complaining about things, to the point of an artform. They complain about every tiny little thing (the streetcar is late, the coffee is cold, the precipitation is unpleasant). The art in Britain is to turn the complaint into something humorous. The art in Germany is to figure out how to blame the discomfort on somebody else.
the art is to complain A LOT but as soon someone suggest to DO SOMETHING about it to complain that the problem is not big enough to make any solution worthwhile.
@@pouncepounce7417 Is there a difference between west and east Germany or was there a difference regarding complaining? I have a feeling in the west it could be or would have been more a complain about inefficiency and in the east more about frustration with the general circumstances (DDR) and not being able to make a matter. Those two slightly different approaches may have merged together in the last few years.
@@elale8016 Culture does differ between east and west, and will for some time, the culture became stunted under the so called "socialism" and left people with way less impulse to fix problems for themself, that was punishable for a long time.
Wait, I‘m german and we are always complaining, thats the reason why we overengineer stuff. It‘s too cold , too warm, to sunny or to rainy.
that's southern parking my dude. it has to be. i almost never see that stuff in the north or berlin. berlin parking is a different kind of crazy though, have to admit...
Didn't see this coming. Cause Germans are most often seen as a bit whinig, accusing others for doing things wrong, never beeing satisfied with anything, etc. When it comes to nature, yes they are relaxed, maybe cause it's forbidden to blame god for the weather. Americans on the other hand, are more known to be always happy, they are always "great" and "fine" no matter in what condition. But maybe you've shown us here, what they say and what they feel are different cups of tea.
It's funny what you said about the Parking. I'm British and live in North Germany. I love it here.
One of the quirky things I find here is that the car park can be empty, yet they will park right next to you and so close that you can't get in your car.
It's not just with Parking.
When you go to the beach too. We spend a lot of time in Gran Canaria.
The beach can be empty, with loads of free sunbeds, yet the will take the sunbeds directly next to you.
Ha, ha... always with the best of enemies. 😊
FYI the link to the podcast in the description has a specific time stamp in it--not sure if that was intentional or not.